WA Minimum Wage vs. Cost of Living

Did you know that more of the lowest-wage workers are over age 55 than under 20? Or that 417,000 people in Washington work at or near Washington’s minimum wage (earning less than $12/hour)?

Initiative 1433, passed by Washington voters in 2016, increased Washington’s minimum wage to $11.00 per hour on January 1st, 2017. While that will help some people’s paychecks keep up with the cost of living, it’s still far short of what many need to make ends meet.

In the map below, select a family size via the drop-down menu, then click on a county to see how Washington’s minimum wage stacks up versus a basic self-sufficiency budget for that family.